Fine Living Top 10: Private Clubs

Number 8

The Australian Club

Melbourne, Australia

The Australian Club, founded in 1878, is among the oldest gentlemen's clubs in the southern hemisphere. Originally, it was a venue for businessmen to lodge and socialize, but today it is a destination for members who are looking to escape the strain of modern life and relax in an inviting and friendly atmosphere.

Tradition is still very much en vogue at the Australian Club. All the original architecture is intact and showcases the club's Victorian inspirations. Club members are welcome to invite both male and female guests to enjoy the special surroundings, fine cuisine and attentive service.

Number 7

Tasmanian Club

Hobart, Australia

Hobart’s Tasmanian Club is another of Australia’s colonial imports, dating back to 1861, and its foundations are rooted in the very best that tradition has to offer.Club members can enjoy some of the best cuisine in Hobart, with fine dining for small and large groups, and business lunches available as well. The club also features a reading room with daily newspapers and periodical magazines, as well as a members' bar with an extensive list of wines and spirits.

Club membership is both distinguished and diverse, but members are expected to adhere to a strict standard of dress.

Number 6

The Yale Club of New York City

New York, New York

Manhattan’s Yale Club, located across the street from Grand Central Terminal in midtown Manhattan, embodies the best traditions of the Ivy League. The house rules are strict: Dress codes must be abided by, business meetings and discussions are discouraged, and the use of electronic devices is limited. This gentlemen’s club was once the domain of Yale men only, but today the club hosts a membership of both male and female alumni, faculty and full-time graduate students.

The clubhouse itself spans 22 floors and features a grill room, a tap room, a dining room on the roof, a terrace, bars, banquet rooms, guest rooms, a library, an athletic center, and a barber shop, among other amenities. The Main Lounge, a massive room with extravagant ceilings and walls lined with fireplaces and portraits of five Yale-educated presidents, is the lively center of the clubhouse.